Railway-switch.



No. 823,764. I 'PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

- 0. F. GOMBR &H. LIGHTGAP.

RAILWAY SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4. 1905.

ammo/Mono 6 Gttozw{$ v a (/fia Zeal amw v UNITED STATES PATENT, o F oR,

RAILWAYSWITCH..

Specification of Letters-Patent.

' laaented June 19, 1906.

Application filed November 4, 1905. Serial No. 285,888.

1'0 all whom zit/ may concern; I

Be it known that we, GHARLEs F. OoMER and HAR Y LIGHTOAP', citizens ofthe United States, residing at Michigan City, in the county of Laporteand State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Railway- Switches; and we do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

Our invention relates to railway-switches; and its object is to providea simple and durable device of this character which is effective underall weather conditions and which can be readily operated to open orclose the switch, the operating mechanism having means whereby theswitch is maintained at all times in eitherone or the other of thesepositions, so that there is no danger of the switch not being thrown theproper distance when it is desired to open or close it.

The invention consists of certain novel features of construction andcombination of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described,and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings we have shown the preferred form of ourinvention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of our improved switch andshowing in dotted lines the positions assumed by the parts when theswitch is open. Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectionon line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section online 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a detail view of one of the stopplates, and Fig. 6 is a perspectiveview of a portion of the actuating-rod and one of-the shifting arms.

Referring to the figures by numerals of reference, 7 is a bed-platewhich extends under the two intersecting rails 8 and 9 of the switch,and that portion of the platebetween the rails extends upwardtherebetween, as shown at 10, andthe rails are secured to thisupwardly-extending portion by means of bolts 11, and holding-blocks 12are formed upon the plate adjacent the apex of the intersecting railsand engage their base-flanges, so as to prevent displacement thereof.The rail 9 does not terminate at its point of'connection with the rail8, but instead extends across the main track 13 and has its end free tomove laterally, while a groove 14 is formed within it close to the rail8, so that the flanges of wheels passing over the main line will movewithin this groove and permit cars to pass smoothly over the switch.Secured to the tiesin alinement with the inner rail 8 of the main trackis a rail-section 15, which is located, preferably, midway between theinner rail 9 and the outer rail 16 of the siding, and secured to theends of this section 15 are rail-sections 17 and 18, the ends of whichare free to swing laterally. The free end of the section 17 is shaped soas to fit snugly against the adjoining face-of the end of rail 9, so asto aline with the rail 8, and the free end of the v section- 18 is alsoshaped so as to fit snugly against the outer rail of the main track atits point of conjunction with the rail 16, so as to lie in alinemen't'with the rail 8. The free end of rail-section: 18 is connected to thelaterally-movable section of rail 9 by means of a cross-bar 19, andextending under said rail section 18 near its point is a chair 20,having flanges 21, which engage the base-flanges of the rail 18. A rod22 extends from the chair 20 and has a block 23 at one end, on which ismounted a strap 24, and this strap and block constitute a bearing forthe crank 25, formed within a rod 26, which extends parallel with thetrack and is suitably journaled in bearings 27, mounted on the ties orother supports. Preferably three cranks 28 are formed by the rod nearits other end, and these cranks are all engaged by bearings 23 and 24,formed at the ends of rods 22, extending from chairs 20, which engagethe rail-section 17 near its point. The cranks 28 are arranged oppositeto the crank 25, so that when the rod 26 is rotated crank 25 will throwits rod in one direction, -while the remaining crankswill throw theirrods in the opposite direction simultaneously. An arm 29 is secured tothe rod ,26 and lies in the same plane with the cranks 25 and 28, sothat when said arm is in a vertical position the cranks are 'also invertical positions and the switch is open. However, to maintain thisposition of the arm is impossible, because the same is provided at itsend with a weight 30, so that said'arm is compelled to assume ahorizontal position on one side or the other of rod 26. Stop-plates 31are secured to the ties under the rail-section'17 and have hooked ends32,

which overlap one of the base-flanges ofsaid section, so as to limit themovement of the sectionin one direction when the same is pulled on bythe rods 22.

It is thought. that from scription the operation of the switch will bethe foregoing deapparent. When arm 29 is swung inward toward the track,the weight 30 will cause it to assume a horizontal position, and thecrank 28 will pull its rod 22 laterally, so as to swing the rail-sectionl8 and the extension of rail 9 laterally, so that said extension willcontact with the outer rail of the main track, as shown by dotted linesin Fig. 1. Simultaneously with this movement the cranks 28 press inwardon their rods 22 and swing the rail-section 17 laterally away from rail9 and into the position shown by dotted lines. Cars moving toward theswitch will therefore be directed onto the siding, and ample space willbe provided between the points of railsections 17 and 18 and theadjoining rails to allow the flanges of the car-wheels to passtherebetwcen. To close the switch, the arm 29 is swung away from thetrack and the parts will then promptly assume the positions shown byfull lines. When the parts are thus located, a car approaching theswitch will move past it and along the main line and the flanges of itswheels will pass through the grooves 14.

It will be seen that the switch is very durable in that it is formed ofvery few parts and there is nothing about it to get out of order.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a railway-switch the combination with the rails of a siding andmain line, the inner rail of the main line terminating at its point ofintersection with the inner rail of the siding; of an extension to theinner rail of the siding extending between the rails of the main lineand adapted to be swung laterally into contact with the outer rail ofthe main line, and rail-sections secured at their adj oining endsbetween the rails of the siding and in alinement with the inner rail ofthe main line, and means for simultaneously shifting one of therail-sections and the rail extension and the other rail-section inopposite directions to open or close the switch.

2. The combination with the rails of a main line and siding, the innerrail of the main line terminating at its point of intersection with theinner rail of the siding; of an extension to the inner rail of thesiding extending in close proximity to, and adapted to move laterallyinto contact with, the outer rail of the main line, oppositely-extendingrail-sections secured between the rails of the siding and in alinementwith the inner rail of the main line, said sections having their pointsfree and capable of swinging laterally, chairs engaging therail-sections adjacent their points, and means for simultaneously movingthe points in opposite directions to open or close the switch, the railextension being connected to and movable with one of the points.

3. The combination with the rails of a main line and siding, the innerrail of the main line terminating at its point of intersection with theinner rail of the siding; of an extension to the inner rail of thesiding extending in close proximity to, and adapted to move laterallyinto contact with, the outer rail of the main line, oppositely-extendingrail-sections secured between the rails of the siding and in alinementwith the inner rail of the main line, said sections having their pointsfree and capable of swinging laterally, chairs engaging therail-sections adjacent their points, a rotatable rod adjacent the railsand having oppositely-extending cranks, means connecting the cranks andchairs, and a weighted actuating-arm secured to the rod adapted torotate and hold the same to simultaneously shift the points of therail-sections to open or close the switch, the rail extensions beingconnected to and movable with one of said points.

4. The combination with the rails of a main line and siding, the innerrail of the main line terminating at its point of intersection with theinner rail of the siding; of an extension to the inner rail of thesiding extending in close proximity to, and adapted to move laterallyinto contact with, the Outer rail of the main line, oppositely-extendingrail-sections secured between the rails of the siding and in alinementwith the inner rail of the main line, said sections having their pointsfree and capable of swinging laterally, chairs engaging therail-sections adjacent their points, a rotatable rod adjacent the railsand having oppositelyextending cranks, means connecting the cranks andchairs, a weighted actuating-arm secured to the rod adapted to rotateand hold. the same to simultaneously shift the points of the railsections to open or close the switch, the rail extensions being connectedto and movable with one of said points, a bed-plate extending under andengaging the intersectim portions of the inner rails of the main tracand siding, and stop-plates extending under one of the rail-sections andadapted to limit its movement in one direction.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHAS. F. COMER. HARRY LIGHTOAP.

lVitnesses:

C. E. BowLIN, WILLIAM NORTH.

